Distressed, alarming, and paranoid, “Berlin, 1885” is the latest offering from Leeds trio Fuzz Lightyear. Sitting at the crossroads of noise-rock, grunge, and post-punk, the tracks multifaceted and detailed songwriting decries the rise of xenophobic forces internationally.

With members from Wales, Yorkshire, and India, international solidarity is at the heart of the band’s morals. As singer Ben Parry explains that the lyrical inspiration of the track comes from “the disturbing rise of the far-right across the globe, the divisive weight that it holds, and the bridges that it continues to burn.  “Berlin, 1885” calls for an upheaval of their bigoted and hateful worldview.”

Backing up the lyrical themes of the track, the panicked and snarling instrumentation is forceful both when minimalist and sparse, and when sending My Bloody Valentine-like walls of sound at the listener. The instrumentation takes as much inspiration from bands like Deftones and Show Me The Body  as it does from Leeds’s thriving underground DIY scenes.

A band normally used to playing and recording in dingy basements and venues filled with rowdy pits, the band decided to take their honed live sound to a repurposed church to work with producer Alex Greaves (bdrmm, Heavy Lungs, Lice) to capture the energetic interplay between all three band members.

With previous releases from the trio garnering attention from the likes of Shell Zenner on Amazing Radio, BBC Introducing, Brudenell Social Club and more, Fuzz Lightyear's sonic brand of post-punk meets grunge is quickly becoming notable. Having spent the lockdown evolving their sound, recording demos, and recording live sessions, the group are gearing up again to emerge with a powerful sound, and a captivating live show.